Method and apparatus for handling metal



Jan. 28", 1930. y R, RQMINE 1,745,050

METHOD AND AP'PARATUS FOR HANDLING METAL IIHIW oigmal Filed March 21,' 1927 5 sheets-sheet 1 o o o o o o o0 a3 liar/z sys.

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R. T. ROMINE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING METAL 'i 5 'Sheetsheet 5 Original File@ March 21, 17927" fnvelzfor.'

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT TALBOT ROMDTE, F MOUNT CLEMENS, MICHIGAN METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING METAL Application led March 21, 1927, Serial No. 177,005. Renewed ctober 23, 1929.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for handling metal, such as sheet metal, and for binding the metal sheets in packs, bundles or units to be placed in storage or upon the ioor of a freight car or other carrier for shipment with the packs as individual units maintained intact at all times during transit or while being handled.

rlhe resent invention is a continuation in part o the invention shown and described in my Patent No. 1,650,540, patented Nov. 22, 1927.

My method and apparatus are especially adapted for use at mills, such as steel or aluminum mills, or other production sources wherein large quantities of metal such assheet metal, strip or bar metal, are produced and wherein such metal is placed in storage for future delivery or is shipped in freight cars or other carriers to consumers in bundles or packs weighing, in many instances, as much as ten tons.

One of the objects of this 'invention is to provide an efficient and practicable method of handling metal, such as sheet metal, at the mills or elsewhere for the purpose of stacking the metal to form a pack of the desired size or weight, and binding the packs into units in such manner as to facilitate handling,

storing or shipping of the sheet metal.

A further purpose of this invention is to provide a method wherein the metal, particularly in the case .of sheet metal, may be irst stacked fiat after the final operation at the mill, may be bound or secured together into the proper size unit` or pack, and thereafter `transferred or conveyed to storage or to the freight car so that the sheets `may be transportedl on edge. f u

A furtherobj ect vof the invention is to provide an improved'apparatus for packing and transporting sheet, strip or bar metal on the floor of a freight car or carrier whereby shipment and handling offthis `material may be more efiicientlyhcarried out. y

{.'In the accompanyingl drawings, wherein ,like referencecharacters `indicate vsimilar parts in the severalviews, I have shown'the f. p several steps ofpmy method ofhandling metal together with a preferred form of apparatus employed for carrying out the method.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a loading table or buck adapted to receive the metal sheets to be bound together in a pack or bundle.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the packing table or buck of Fig. l supporting a pile or pack of metal sheets stacked atwise thereupon.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate steps in the method of applying the binders to the pack of metal sheets. I

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a step ind the method of handling a pac preparatory to turning the sheets on edge.

Fig. 6a is a view illustrating the step of turning the pack.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a lift truck platform showing the pallet in l position thereupon.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammat-ic view showing a bound pack being transferred from the packing table or buck to the lift truck platform.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a bound pack 75 of metal.

Figs. 10 and 11 are cross sections taken along the lines 10-10 and 11-l1,respect1vely of Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a detail perspective view illus- 80 trating the manner in which the sections of a binder are adjustably connected together.

Fig. 13 is aV detail perspective view illustrating the unassembled parts of one of the pressure devices. l

Fig. 14 is a detail perspective view showing the spacer members of a binder.

Fig. l5 is a perspective view of theinside of a box car with a stack lifter supporting a bundle in elevated position. t

. Before explaining in detail the presentinvention, it is to be understood that theinvention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying draw- 95 ings, sincel the invention capable ofotlier embodiments and of beingy practised or carried out in various ways.k Also it is tobe understood that` the vphraseologyrvor terminology 'employed herein for lthe purpose of 100 i I description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention beyond the terms of the several claims hereto appended lor the requirements of the prior art. The method of the present invention is illustrated in connection with the handling of sheet metal, and although the apparatus shown in the drawings is at present preferred by me for carrying out the invention it will be apparent that other apparatus may be employed for practising the method. In general, the' following steps are shown in the drawings by way of example: piling the metal sheets flatwise upon a packing table or buck, applying binders to the pack while upon such packing table or buck, turning the pack to position the constituent parts thereof on edge, placing pallet members u on the lift platformof a lift truck, trans erring the bound pack to the lift truck platform and depositing it thereupon to be supported by the members of the pallet with the binder members referably out of engagement with the lift p atform, connecting the pallet and the bound pack together, and thereafter transferring the pack and pallet from the lift platform to storage or to a position within a freight car or other carrier for shipment.

T he packing table and sheet aligning device In Fig. 1 I have shown certain improved apparatus for use in connection with the handling of metal sheets in accordance with my` method. Preferably, I employ a packing table or buck A having legs A1 and a flat rectangular floor or supporting surface upon which are positioned a plurality of spaced transyersely extending Wood members 2. I provide at one end of the table, a device B for -aligning the edges of the metal sheets of the pack P as it is being formed on the table A. The device includes a horizontal angle bar Bl and a vertical angle bar B2 rigidly connected together by means of a preferably triangularly shaped gusset plate B3, the several members being rigidly connected together by means of rivets B* to provide an integral structure. The horizontal angle B1 is adapted to rest upon the floor surface and is detachably connected thereto by means of a securing pin B5. The vertical angle B2 serves as a stop for the constituent sheets of metal as the are placed in position flatwise upon the ta le A. -To prevent the sheet aligning device B from tilting as the sheets of metal are slid into position to be aligned one above the other, and likewise to prevent any accidental tipping or tilting of the table A, an

angle 15 .having a vertical flange 15 and a horizontal flange 15b is rigidly secured to the outer face of the angle B2 by means of rivets or the like. The angle 15 is positionedupon .the vertical angle B2 in a manner permitting the en agement of its horizontal flange 15" ,with tv e under side of .th e table A.. It will be seen, therefore, that when the successive sheets are slid into position upon the table A,

it will be impossible for the alignin device B to, tilt relative to the table since t e weight of the sheets is sufficient to prevent this. Any longitudinal or lateral movement of the device B relative to the floor and the table is prevented by the pin B5 which is inserted in a hole or slot provided in the horizontal angle B1.

It may be found desirable to provide a pair of sheet aligning devices B rather than the single device shown in Fig. 1. In such case the transverse angle 15 is of a length to connect together the vertical angle bar B2 of each of the spaced aligning devices B. It has been found in practice that for aligning relatively narrow sheets a single aligning device B is suiicient, such device bein placed preferably at the center of the ta le end. Where sheets of greater width are to be piled and bound into packs or bundles, it may prove desirable to employ two aligning devices of substantially the same construction as that shown at B in the drawings which devices, as previously referred to, are interconnected by means of the transverse angle 15.

The binders In Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive I have shown the steps of binding the pile or pack of metal sheets P, employing, by way of illustration, a rigid binder of the type shown in my above patent. This binder therefore comprises a plurality of sections C1, C2, C3 and C, each consisting of a pair of bent metal bars 16 and 17. The bars of each binder section are arranged edgewise and in parallelism and connected together and maintained in spaced relation by means of bolts 19 which extend through any of the horizontally aligned holes or apertures 16 and 17n provided in the bars 16 and 17, respectively, and through a tubular spacer member or sleeve 18. After a bolt has been inserted through the aligned apertures and the sleeve 18, a nut 20 is threaded upon the exposed end of the bolt and tightened to draw the members 16 and 17 of the binder section rigidly against the ends of the spacer sleeve 18. As will be seen in Fig. 12

. the ends of the bars 16 and 17 of adjacent and cooperating binder sections overlap in order to permit adjustment'- of the binders for packs of varying dimensions. The oke ortions of the binders are of substantially e same construction as those shown and described in my patent abovereferred to.

the inner side of the bars 16 and 17. The web of each yoke is provided centrally thereof with a tapped hole 26 through which is threaded an adjusting screw 27. Interposed between the end of the adjusting screw 27 and the pack, is a metal thrust or bearing plate 28 provided with a depression or recess 29 positioned centrally thereof to receive and center the end of the adjusting screw 27. Each plate 28 is preferably provided with multiple projectin portions on the outer face thereof (Fig. 11) orming a gripping surface for the plate.

Beneath the pack and upon the blocks A2 are located. a pair of longitudinally extending spaced wood strips or bars E1. At one vertical side of the pack, I also provide, for each binder, a vertically extending wood strip or bar F1. The purpose of the strips or bars E1 and F1 positioned at the under side and at one vertical side of the pack, respectively, is to provide cushioning means to prevent the binder sections, when tightened aboutv the pack, from injuring or marring the metal sheets, when pressure is applied to the pack to draw the binder members into contact and firmly hold the constituent sheets of the pack together as a unit. Y v

In addition I` provide, preferably, a pair of longitudinally extending wood bars E, which bars are interposed between each of the bearing plates 28 and the to of the pack. At the vertical side of the pac opposite to the wood members F1 are interposed between the binders and the edges of the sheets vertical wood bars or members F.

The several wood strips or bars E, E1, F and F1 are all assembled during the operation of forming the pack. The purpose of these wood members 1s two-fold. They'provide protecting means for the metal sheets by maintaining the pressure devices and the sect-ions of the binder outof direct contact with the pack, and likewise serve as longitudinally and transversely extending pack engaging and supporting trusses. A

Method of forming tkepacle As previously referred to, I preferably employ a packing table o1 buck A and a sheet end aligning device B. The table A with its spaced wood blocks A2 serves as a supporting surface lfor the sheets as they are piled thereupon by the workmen. Toform a pack of metal such as that shown at P in the drawings, a pair of the wood'bars E1 are placed upon the blocks A2 and extend longitudinally of the table. The metal sheets ofJ the pack are then slid into position upon the wood bars E1 until their ends abut the vertical angle B2 of the aligning device. Each successive sheet is slid into position one above the other .until a pile of the desired size and weight,

and the requisite number of sheets, has been formed.

In Fig. 2 it will be seen that the binder sections C1 and C2 are interconnected beneath the pack P in the spaces provided between the wood blocks A2. It will also be noted that the blocks A2 are thicker than the-width of the binder sections, so that such sections may be inserted in the space between the wood bars E1 and the top or supporting surface of the table A. The inner ends of the sections C1 and C2 are moved into cooperative overlapping relation until the binder sections assume the position in which they are shown in F 1g. 3, or in other Words, until they have been moved to proper relationship with res ect to the particular bundle to be bound. i t this stage, the vertical wood strips or bars F may be interposed between the verticall extending portion of the binder sect1on 2 and the adjacent vertical edges of the sheets of the pack. When in this position the bolts 19, spacing sleeves 18 and nuts 20 are applied to the overlapping end portions of the binder sections C1 and 2 to secure the vsections together beneath the pack.

An additional pair of longitudinally extending spaced wood bars E are then placed in position upon the top of the pack of metal sheets and the pressure devices G for the top side of the pack may be placed in proper position thereupon. Thereafter the sections C3 and Ctof the binder are brought into cooperative relation with the vertically extendingl portions of the binder sections C1 and C2 to cause the ends of the several sections to overlap as shown in Fig. 4. When in this position it will be understood that the members 16'and 17 of the sections C3 and C* are in engagement with the plate or yoke 25 ofthe pressure devices G at the top of the pack. The requisite additional bolts, sleeves and nuts, 19, 18 and 20 respectively, are then placed in the horizontally aligned apertures 16a and 17a to secure the several sections of the binder together in cooperative relation with respect to each other and to the pack of metal. The screws 27 of the top pressure devices G are now tightened to draw the horizontal portions of the binder sections C1 and C2 upwardly into engagement with the longitudinal wood bars E1 beneath the pack. until the binder assumes the position relative to the pack in which it is shown in Fig. 4.

The size of the pack having been taken into consideration and the binder sections adjusted accordingly until the parts are in the position in which they are shown in Fig. 4, it is then merely necessgry to apply to the free vertical side'cftlie pack, shown at the left in the figure, and between each binder andthe pack a wood bar-,F substantially like the bar F1. ,Additional pressure devices G are then inserted between the binder sections C3 and C1 and each wood bar F, Vand the screws 27 of the pressure devices manipulated to cause the thrust plates 28 to firmly engage the outer pressure devices,

of the pressure devices surface of the wood bar F. Additional pressure is then brought to bear upon the vertical side of the pack, at the left in Fig. 5, to force the sheets evenly against the bars F at the opposite side of the pack and align the edges thereof. This application of pressure at the left hand vertical side of the pack causes the binder sections at the opposite vertical side to move into engagement with the wood strip or bar F1 and firmly bind the latter' between the binder sections and the right hand vertical side of the pack, and to cause the edges of the sheets to bite into the soft wood bars F and F1.

After the edges of the sheets have been aligned properly against the vertical woodv members F1, additional pressure is applied to the longitudinally extending wood bars E at the top of the pack through the medium of the pressure devices G at the top of the pack. By tightening the screw 27 of each of the it will be understood that the bottom horizontal portions of the binder sections C1 and C2 which underlie the pack of metal, are further drawn upwardly into contact and engagement with the longitudinal wood bars El and serve to clamp the bars against the under side or face of the pack.

From the foregoing it will be understood that by preliminarily'tightening the pressure devices G at the top of the pack su ciently, the binder sections are drawn upwardly to bring the bottom portions of the binder lightly into engagement with the wood bars E1- at the bottoni of the pack. Thereupon, by tightening the pressure devices G at the left side of the pack inFig. 5. the vertically eX- tending binder portions C2 and C4 will be clamped against the wood bars F1 at the right hand side of the pack, thereby aligning the edges of the sheets. After the binder has been drawn into the position in which it is shown in Fig. 5, final pressure is exerted upon the top of the pack through the medium G positioned above the pack. The foregoing steps of the method may be readily and quickly accomplished, whereby the constituent sheets'of the pack are bound together into a unit with the sheets positioned iatwise.

- Handling the bow/Ld pack After the pack has been bound as shown in Fig. 5, it may be turned approximately ninety degrees by simply rolling the pack over by means of suitable power apparatus, such for example as a crane, the hoist hooks of which are connected at the side of the pack to one of the binder bolts 19 and spacer sleeves 18 of each binder.

Referring to Fig. 5 it will be noted that the pack P is supported directly upon the wood blocks A2 and the weight of the pack is supported independentlyof the binders. .In order to roll or turn the pack over on its binders it is necessary to transfer the weight of the pack from the blocks A2 to the binders, so that the pack will turn or roll over upon the curved corner portions X of the binders. The hoist hooks 10a of a suitable hoisting mechanism, such as an overhead crane, are connected at each side of the pack to each of the binders and the pack is lifted from the table A by means of the hoist mechanism angl deposited on the floor Y of the plant, in the manner shown in Fig. 6. The crane is preferably attached to the pack at four points at opposite sides of the pack, which enables the weight of the pack to be distributed and has the advantage of preventing swing or tilting movement of the pa r, this being especially important where units weighting as much as ten tons are being handled.

When the pack has been deposited upon the floor, a pair of the hoist hooks is disconnected at one side of the pack, such as the right hand side in Fig. 6a and thereupon the crane is operated and traversed in such manner as to lift one side of the pack and roll it over as shown in the drawing. After the pack has been turned so that the constituent parts or sheets thereof rest on edge, as shown in Fig. 6, the crane hooks may be connected again to the opposite sides of the pack through the medium of the binder bolts 19 and spacer sleeves 18 of the binders, and the pack may be lifted onto a suitable conveying medium or may be transferred by the crane directly to storage. At some plants the packs, after being turned with the sheets or strips on edge, are transferred directly to a lift. truck platform L' and carried to the freight car. In such cases the wood supporting members for the pack are placed on the floor of the car and the pack transferred from the truck to the wood pallet members by means of a stack lifter V, such as shown in Fig. 15.

In accordance with the present invention, however, I have provided a way in which the supporting pallet I may be handled with the pack as a unit, thereby effecting a considerable saving in labor and time.

The wood pallet upon which the pack is supported on the car 'floor may be built up on the'lift truck platform L by the workman before the pack is lifted from the floor onto the truck platform. This palet may comprise a pair of parallel longitudinal wood members 30 which are first laid on the truck platform. A series of transverse wood members 31 are then laid across the members 30 in spaced relation from one another. The pack is then lifted as shown in Fig. 8 by means of the crane and deposited on the members 30 and 31. As the pack is lowered onto the cross members 31 the workman adjusts these members into the desired positions with relation to the pack so that the binders will lie in the spaces between the end pairs of cross members 31, as sho'wn in Fig. 8. The transverse members 31 in the present instance are of suficie'ntthickness to maintain the binders C out of contact with the longitudinal members 30 of the pallet and the floor of the ,freight car, yet permitting the lower edges of the sheets of the pack P to rest upon the transverse members 31 and bite in to the top surfaces thereof to frictionally resist longitudinal movement of the pack as a unit'relative to the transverse supporting members 31 durk ing transit.

After the pack has been placed on the pa-llet members 30 and 31' the latter may be secured together in any suitable manner, such as by nails N, see Fig. 9.

A pair of longitudinally extending wood members or bars 32 are positioned at, opposite longitudinal sides of thepack upon the transverse wood blocks 31, the members 32 serving to maintain the pack against lateral or sidewise movement or displacement relative to the pallet members 30 and 31. The longitudinal wood members 32 are then secured to the transverse members by means of nails or the like 31a. It will be understood that the inner vertical face or side of each member 32 is in abutting relation to the side of the pack of metal. In order to connect the pack and pallet together as a unit, a pair of angle plates or brackets 33 may be positioned adjacent opposed lends -of the members 32, and secured thereto and to the Wood bars E and E1 by means of nails or the like 35 33a (Fig. 9). `The pallet members 30 and 31 are thus connected with the pack to. form a single unit through the medium of bars 32 and the devices 33 at each side of the pac-k. The bars 32 in addition provide means for resisting sidewise displacement of the pack relatively t0 the pallet during transit.

The bound pack and pallet, as a complete unit, are then propelled upon the lift platform L of the truck to any desired point, either to a storage Warehouse or directly into a freight car. The unit is then lifted from the platform and placed upon the storage warehouse floor or upon the car floor as desired. In the first instance, an ordinary overhead crane may be employed to effect the transfer of the unit, whereas in the latter v case, I preferably employ a stack lifter (Fig. 15) of the character shown and described in my co-pending application Serial No. 133,374, filed September 3, 1926.

The truck T may be propelled directly into the car with the pack on the lift platform L straddled at opposite sides by the legs of the stack lifter. The hoist mechanism of. the lifter is then connected to the binders` at opposite sides of the pack, whereupon the pack is lifted, the truck platform backed out from beneath the pack, and the pack and pallet deposited on the car floor as a unit.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the sheet metal may be bound for transportation on the car oor by support-ing and maintaining it as a unit on pallet or skid members permitting the entire unit to shift or float on the car floor when. the car is subjected to shocks or blows in transit.

What I claim is:

1. The herein described method of preparing metal such as sheet metal for shipment on a carrier, which consists in piling thel constituent sheets of the pack liatwise on a support, placing binders about the pack, applying pressure through the medium of said binders, and turning the pack to position the sheets on edge. V

2. The hereindescribed method of packing metal such as sheet metal with the constituent sheets ,of a pack piled flatwise, which consists in placing binders about the pack, applying pressure to certain sides of the pack through the medium of said binders, turning the pack to dispose the sheets on edge, and supporting the pack ona pallet on a car floor.

3. The herein described method of loading metal for shipment, which consists in piling or stacking the metal on a support, placing binders to encircle the pack, applying pressure at the top and at one vertical. side of the pack through the medium of said binders, and supporting the bound pack on a carrier floor with the pack turned ninety degrees.

4. The herein described method of loading metal for shipment, which consist-s in stacking the metal such as sheet metal flatwise in a pack, placing binders at the top, bottom and sides of the pack, securing the binders to the pack by applying pressure successively at two sides of the pack in directions at right angles to each other, and turning the pack ninety degrees for shipment on the oor of a carrier.

5. TheA herein described method of loading metal for shipment, which consists in stacking sheet metal flatwise to form a pack, binding the pack by applying pressure at the top and at one vertical side of the pack, and turning the pack to dispose the constituent sheets on edge.

6. The herein described method of loading metal such as sheet strip or bar metal for shipment, which consists in piling or stacking the metal to form a pack, placing binders at the top, bottom and sides of the pack, se-

curing the binders to the pack by'applying 'pressure at the top of the pack and at one vertical side thereof, then turning the pack ninety degrees to dispose the binders opposite said vertical side beneath the bundle.

7. The herein described method of handling metal, such as metal sheets, -which consists in stacking the metal flatwse to form Apack or bundle, binding the pack into a unit,

and turning the pack to dispose the constituent parts on edge.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a pair of binders adapted to encircle and embrace a pack ofmetal sheets, pressure devices carried by said binders and adapted to apply pressure to two sides of the pack in directions at right angles to each other, and pallet members for supporting the pack on a car floor and means for detachably connecting the pallet members to the pack.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a plurality of adjustable binders adapted to encircle and embrace a pack of metal sheets, and means adapted to be positioned between said binders and said pack' for exerting pressure upon one vertical side and thetop of said pack only when the pack is supported with the sheets on edge.

10. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of an adjustable binder to embrace a pack of metal sheets, and pressure devices detachably connected with said binder and adjustable relatively thereto for exerting pressure upon two sides only of the pack.

11. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of binding means adapted to embrace a pack of metal sheets, and a pallet disposed beneath the pack for supporting the same free of its binding means, said pallet including a pair of longitudinal members, transverse members detachably connected with said members and mounted thereupon, and means at opposite sides of the pack detachably connected therewith and with the transverse members for restricting the lateral movement of the pack relative to the pallet.

12. In an apparatus ofthe class described, the combination of binders adapted to embrace a pack of metal, and a pallet disposed beneath the pack for supporting the same free of its binders, said pallet including' a pair of parallel longitudinal members, spaced transverse members mounted upon said members for supporting the pack with the binders positioned Within the spaces between said transverse members, and wood members at opposite sides of the pack and connected with said pallet for restricting lateral movement of the pack relative to said pallet.

13. The combination of members mounted on a car licor for supporting a pack of sheet metal with the sheets on edge in engagement with said members, and longitudinally extending members engaging opposite sides of the pack for maintaining the pack on said members against lateral displacement.

14. The combination of transverse wood members mounted on a car floor for supporting 'a pack of sheet metal with the sheets on edge in engagement with said members and extending longitudinally of the car, and means connecting said members together and engaging opposite sides of the pack for maintaining the pack on said members against lateral displacement.

15. An apparatus for packing sheet metal or the like on the floor of a freight car, comprising wood members extending longitudinally of the car upon the floor thereof, and binding means for maintaininfr the pack together as a unit on said members'and connected thereto.

16. An apparatus for packing sheet metal or the like on the floor of a freight car, comprising wood members extending longitudinally of the car upon the floor thereof, and binding means for maintaining the pack together as a unit on said members and held thereto against relative movement, said wood members having the ends thereof tapered.

17. An apparatus of the class described, comprising members extending beneath a pack of metal for supporting the pack in such manner upon the car floor as to permit floating movement of the pack and members when the car is subjected to blows or shocks, means for connecting said members together, and binding means for maintaining the pack together as a unit and connected with said members.

18. The hereindescribed method of binding a pack, such as sheetstrip or bar metal, for shipment on the floor of a carrier, which consists in placing binding means about a pack, interposing wood material between the binding means and pack at a pair of opposite sides thereof, and applying inward pressure against the pack at one of said sides only to draw the binding means against the wood matlerial and pack at the opposite side of the pac i.

19. The hereindescribed method of binding a pack such as sheet strip or bar metal, for shipment on the oor of a carrier, which consists in placing binding means about the pack, interposing Wood material between the binding means and pack at a pair of opposite sides thereof, and exerting pressure on the binding means and pack at one of said sides only to force the binding means at the opposite side against said material and pack.

20. The hereindescribed method of packing metal such as sheet metal for shipment n the floor of a carrier, which consists in binding the pack with the constituent parts arranged in a pile and applying pressure to two sides of the pack in directions at right angles to each other, and thereafter turning the pack on one of said sides for shipment un the carrier floor.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ROBERT TALBOT ROMINE. 

